Think, Eat, Be Healthy

Don’t Pay Attention To The Latest Superfoods

Avocados, cloves and almonds have all been declared superfoods by health experts over the years. I eat all of them but they are just part of a healthy whole food diet.

Avocados, cloves and almonds have all been declared superfoods by health experts over the years. I eat all of them but they are just part of a healthy whole food diet.

Superfoods have been back in the news recently with posts on several food/health blogs and other sites. These are the foods that we can’t live without. If we do not eat them regularly we cannot be really healthy. They have more antioxidants and more anti-inflammatory compounds and more minerals than anything else you can eat. I say don’t pay attention to the latest superfoods. Ignore them and everything will be just fine.

Why do I feel this way about healthy, nutritious whole foods? Because superfoods change constantly, a moving dietary target that none of us will ever hit. The list of foods that have beenĀ  labeled superfoods over the years has become quite long and crowded. Newer additions include goji berries, avocado, cilantro, sumac and cloves.

Are shiitake mushrooms, blueberries and flax seeds superfoods or just good whole foods?

Are shiitake mushrooms, blueberries and flax seeds superfoods or just good whole foods?

The way most superfood lists are put together makes it sound like these things have just been discovered and were never eaten before. Or they have been eaten for a long time but science has just discovered some new compound in them that reverses cancer or eases arthritis. I am convinced that all of these new superfoods have always been eaten and have always contained the same healthy compounds.

I believe that we can all be perfectly healthy by simply eating a wide variety of commonly available whole foods regularly. If you like some of the superfoods, eat them and they will do you good and no harm. Just remember that many of the other vegetables, fruits, seeds and legumes in your diet probably contain the same nutrients as the superfoods – they just have not been tested yet.

Raw cacao beans, garlic and quinoa are all healthy whole foods but are not superfoods to be eaten at the expense of dietary variety.

Raw cacao beans, garlic and quinoa are all healthy whole foods but are not superfoods to be eaten at the expense of dietary variety.

A larger variety of nutrients from a larger variety of whole foods will always be healthier than fewer types of nutrients from a restricted group of superfoods. We should be striving every day to add new foods to our diet while still eating old stand-by’s. For optimum health, resist the temptation to eat the same three or four vegetables day after day and week after week because they are quick and easy to prepare.